In this book, Roger Chartier and his associates explore the history of a cultural
practice that has become common and widespread: the writing of letters. They begin
by examining the invention of norms for writing letters in the Middle Ages, and the
fixing of these norms in popular manuals of various kinds. They then analyse the
letterwriting models developed in the ancien regimes, showing how these models were
linked to court literature, on the one hand, and to the popular books distributed
by pedlars, on the other. Finally, they discuss the models of letter-writing developed
during the nineteenth century. The nineteenth century, they argue, was a decisive
period in the history of letter-writing, partly because of the rapid rise in rates
of literacy and partly due to broader social and economic transformations which increased
the need for writing letters.

Французский оригинал: Les usages de la lettre au XIX siècle. Paris, Fayard,
1991. ---------------------------
«Correspondence» explores the history of a fascinating cultural practice:
the writing of letters. From the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, western societies
served a long apprenticeship in the culture of the written word. Although mastery
of reading and writing was far from evenly distributed, many tradesmen, shopkeepers,
and artisans possessed these skills. A specialized literature came into being whose
aim it was to regulate and control ordinary forms of letter-writing by instilling
in people the difficult techniques that this writing entailed. As a result, tensions
evolved in the structured practice of letter-writing. Although writers wished to
stay within the guidelines set forth by secrtaires or by collections of model letters,
they also wanted to be spontaneous. "Correspondence" explores these tensions over
a long span of time by examining model letter collections. The authors examine the
invention of norms for writing letters in the Middle Ages, and the application of
these norms in various popular manuals. They then analyze the letter-writing models
developed in the ancien rgime, showing how these models were linked to both court
literature and popular books distributed by pedlars. Finally, the discussion turns
to models of letter-writing developed during the nineteenth century. By exploring
changes in letter-writing, this book sheds light on a cultural practice that has
created ways of thinking, of feeling, and of relating to others and to oneself.